Author Interviews, Endocrinology, Thyroid Disease / 31.03.2019
A Modifying Autoantigen in Graves’ Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Terry Davies, MD, Professor
Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Co-Director, The Thyroid Center, Mount Sinai Union Square
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The receptor for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is the major antigen for Graves' disease and patients have unique antibodies to the TSHR which stimulate excessive thyroid hormone secretion.
We have characterized a variant TSHR called v1.3 which is a splicing variant which we find expressed in thyroid, bone marrow, thymus and adipose tissue and incorporates an intronic sequence which is fully translated. (more…)